Scott Lewis of Carnifex
Photo by Sam Reed
Buffalo knows all too well that feeling of despair when a big name act in Deathcore or Metalcore skips our city on tour. Not this time.
After strong pleas from local show goers, After Dark Entertainment finally brought Carnifex to The Waiting Room in Downtown Buffalo Tuesday night.
The warmer weather before the blizzard brought enough people out to fill the venue close to capacity. While the show didn't sell out, the crowd was ready to enjoy the band they so desperately wanted.
Deathcore consumed the night from the get go with local Buffalo favorites A Future Corrupt. Friends came out to support and the sense of community within the Buffalo music scene was evident. Vocalist Ethan Fingold captured the crowd with his improved range and stage presence. Both his lows and highs have improved significantly in the past year as well as the band's instrumentals. However, I was waiting for the rest of the band to move more. If they had all been moving, it would have influenced the rest of the crowd to be more interested.
Ethan Fingold of A Future Corrupt
Photo by Sam Reed
Assassins, Here Comes the Kraken and Lorna Shore followed A Future Corrupt. Unfortunately, I wasn't too impressed with them. A large portion of the crowd became more intrigued with buying more drinks at the bar, checking their Facebook or taking selfies in the bathroom. Their performance wasn't sub par, just their pull on the audience. A few hardcore kids in the scene took to the pit to dance and kick people in the throat per usual, so there's proof that those opening bands pleased some show goers.
The highlight of the night had to be when I Declare War came on stage. The Razor & Tie deathcore heavyweights from Seattle came in like a wrecking ball way better than Miley ever could. Their brute, angry force translated well with the audience. I Declare War fed off the energy and gave a solid performance.
Vocalist Jamie Hanks' passion in his music had his eyes bugging out. Every lyric he screamed was powerful. Fan favorites "Misery Cloud" from their 2011 self-titled album and "Federal Death Alliance" from Malevolence balanced out the different generations in the audience. Whether you were a semi- new fan or a long time die hard fan, I Declare War had a track for you. They even played some songs from their upcoming album We Are Violent By Nature such as "Quiet," a hard hitting statement that kept the crowd moving and pushing.
Jamie Hanks of I Declare War
Photo by Sam Reed
Carnifex was of course the last band of the night. With five albums under their belt, they had the most diversity in their set which explained why there were older women at the show, screaming in their drunk stupor. Guitarist Jordan Lockrey was the most entertaining on stage. He whipped his hair around like a windmill while staying focused on his instrument and getting low to the stage. I couldn't keep my eyes off him. Vocalist Scott Lewis was also energetic as he pressed the microphone close to his mouth and shook his sweat into the crowd.
The Deathcore gods delighted Buffalo with songs like "Condemned to Decay" off their newest album Die Without Hope and "Lie to my Face" from 2007's Dead In My Arms. The best part of their set though is when the opening chords of "Hell Chose Me" echoed in the venue.
People began climbing over each other to attempt a mic grab or to just scream in Lewis' face. The pit intensified in people and movement. It was clear that Carnifex has a lot of fans here. Fingold of A Future Corrupt was even given the O.K by Lewis, his idol, to jump on stage and scream with him. Certainly an exciting moment for everyone that has watched the local band grow.
The turnout and energy was spot on for most of the night. It was a well deserved performance for everyone that waited for Carnifex. Thankfully, Buffalonians won't have to wait long to see Carnifex again. They will be returning in April as support for Whitechapel.